Employees at a Norfolk, Virginia restaurant were caught on camera washing dishes on the ground in an alley behind the establishment known as CiCi's Pizza.

It happened Friday, at the chain's Military Highway Branch in Norfolk.

The photos were snapped by a NewsChannel 3 viewer who wished to remain unidentified.

"He had a water hose. He would scrub the pans, spray them with the water hose and then pick up the rag off the ground and scrub the pans again and then stacked them on his shoulder and took em inside," said that viewer.

NewsChannel 3 brought the complaint to the attention of the Norfolk Health Department.

All restuarants in the city are required to wash, rinse, and sanitize equipment, utensils and dishes inside their establishment. It is against city ordinances to rinse food off into the storm drain because it can attract rats.

CiCi's headquarters in Texas released this statement via their vice president: "Policy requires all dishes be cleaned in a sink or dishwasher. And that under no circumstances should anyone be cleaning outside."

NewsChannel 3 reports that a team from the company will investigate the reason why the dishes were washed outside.